1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio/video broadcast system for a facility to allow reception and display of broadcast signals at each of a plurality of monitor stations while programming at each station is subject to an overriding executive control that will override control settings by the user at each monitor station. More particularly the present invention relates to such a broadcast system particularly suitable for use in mass transit vehicles that will minimize the installation requirements by use of a bus to supply each monitor with not only program material but also with an override alert; an executive signal and a power supply from the signal conveyed by the bus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While not so limited, the present invention is particularly useful for use in mass transit systems such as buses providing inner city transit service as well as trains, subway, airplane and terminals used for mass transit. In such mass transit systems, it is believed that a need exists for a audio and/or video system to present within the mass transit vehicle not only announcements regarding particulars of the mass transit service but also, for example, advertising information as well as entertainment programming for the ridership. A public address system, for example, does not allow ridership intervention to accommodate individual volume adjustments that might be desirable or essential at each speaker location to insure meaningful communication with the ridership. Sometimes the audio level is too low for those in the immediate area of the speaker to acquire an effective understanding of the message, while in other instances the volume is too high and thus a nuisance. In addition to public service announcements, a broadcast system within the facility may utilize state of the art audio and video technologies to insure ridership acceptance of not only service announcements but also entertainment and advertisement-type programming. Multi-aspect of communications for such a broadcast system must be produced with great continuity and without notable inflections both audio and/or video between the various different modes of communication, i.e., announcement, advertisement and entertainment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a broadcast system for a facility wherein each of a plurality of monitors responsive to an input comprised of an audio and/or video signal are also responsive to an executive control superseding all local control functions of the monitors at least as long as the executive control persists.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a broadcast system for a facility wherein each of a plurality of monitors are responsive to an input comprised of at least an audio signal to enable a simultaneous recording of an audio announcement while supplied under an executive control to locally amplified speakers forming part of the monitor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a broadcast system for a facility wherein lack of a plurality of monitors is equipped to generate a signal applied to an operator's station as an alert to the operator, e.g., an alarm signal that a rider desires to exit a bus at a next designated stop.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combined video and audio broadcast system for a facility wherein the video broadcast includes a line assignment as an inclusion to the video broadcast and the audio broadcast includes a voice override.